The Crystal Ball: Wait, Now James Watson Is Black.

Each week, FishbowlNY offers up their picks for the cream of the underreported news cycle. Are you a blogger? Journalist? Then these are the stories to keep an eye on:

James Watson: It’s Not Racism, It’s Self Loathing: The Times of London got their hands on the genome analysis of DNA co-discoverer (and accused racist) James Watson. It turns out that Watson has sixteen times more sub-Saharan African genes than the average European. According to Kari Stefansson of deCODE Genetics, who performed the analysis, “this level is what you would expect in someone who had a great-grandparent who was African.”

Subtext: Why did news of Watson’s DNA test make it into the Times of London? We’d say that Watson is making a last-minute PR bid to salvage his legacy from being tainted by the whole racism/brain power fiasco. It probably won’t work.

Putin Appoints A Successor… But What About Belarus?: Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced his support for sidekick Dmitri A. Medvedev as Russia’s next president. Odds are that Medvedev, currently First Deputy Prime Minister, will serve as a figurehead while Putin wields power behind the scenes.

Subtext: The Kremlin refuses to deny reports that a union treaty will be signed between Russia and Belarus this week in Minsk. According to the Christian Science Monitor, Kremlin sources report that Putin will be the new provisional leader of the new union and Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko will be speaker of parliament. This will also give Putin the chance to create a new Constitution. Two dictators in one country? Awesome.